Apparatus for heating gas



Nov. 28, 1939. H. w. DAVENPORT 2,181,6544

APPARATUS FOR HEATING GAS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 24, 1938 Nov; 28. 1939. H. w. DAVENPORT l APPARATUS FOR HEATING GAS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 24, 19:58

y FIG. a.

Hnward W. D avErLpm- L ATTORNEYS.

Nev. A i l 2,181,654

rs1.ss4

mm'rvs ron uname ons Howard W.- Davenport, La. application Jennery 24', 193s, serial-No. 1as,'149, s claims.' (cies-122i n' The present invention relates toa-method and In'the drawings', A designates a hig/hlp'ressure apparatus f or heating gas obtained from high lgas 4110W line from a. well, B a ilowbean to which pressure gas wells, the temperature of' Vwhich is line Adelivers gas, C a discharge or reduced ordinarily reduced to or below'freezing point' inpressure gas ow line from the'iiow bean. whichk 5l cident to its passage thru a flow meansometimes may have connection with a main pipe lineior.

termed a choke. transportation ofthe 88.5. t0 a gas and oil sepa- The flow bean is used to control'the ow of gas rator, or any other equipment not shown' in the from the well,4 throttlin'g it to desired pres-l drawings, for transportation, storage or-utilizasure and rate of flow. When gas underhigh pr'estion ofthe gasin` any suitable manner, and D a sure-is discharged to a lowerpressure thruv the thermo-Siphoncirculating vSystem in which the 10 more or less restricted throat of the ow bean or ilow bean and discharge line C are located.

choke, a rapid expansion of the gas causes a drop The flow bean B may be of the adjustable choke or fall in temperature sufcient to cause the fortype and in the example vshown comprises a cas' mation of ice unless the ilow bean' is heated'tt'i a ing Inhaving an intake extension 5 connected to' v .15 temperature `higher than normal ambient temthe high presu're gas line' A and is at its lower 15 perature. Ice thus formed may close the throat portion connected to the discharge line C; a yoke ofthe ilow bean. Many thousands oi dollars 6 receiving a valve stem lion which is mounted have been spent in the gas elds for equipment hand wheel 8, and a lock nut 9 having a handle to prevent freezing of ilow beans, vThe customary' I0, adapted to hold the valve stem 1 in its ad- 20' method employed involves the use vof steam and justed position, all of which is quite common in 20 .requires the constant attentionl of men to look the art. after steam boilersand other equipment con- The discharge line C is preferably connected to nectedtherewith. the lower portion of the ow bean vB-'angi in the The principal objects of the prsent invention example shown, comprises a nipple Hjunion i2, are to provide a method for heatingthe ow bean -vertical -pipe I3, elbow Il, horizontal pipe I5, 2. j and discharge line thereof, and consequently the elbow vI 6, and pipe coil I1 which encircles the ow gas owing therethru, which is economical and bean and extends to an' elbow IB in a zone above n safe, and apparatus for such heating which is low .the flow beancasing 4. 'I'he elbow I6 may'have A iti-cost of installation and to a large degree autoconnection with av reduced pressure gas flow line 3o mae in that 1t requires only infrequent attenlil leading to any suitable equipment not shown in :so tion cfa caretaker. the drawings. 'I'he convolutions of the pipe coil' Another object of the invention' is to -provicle I1 may be held in spaced relation in any suitable heating apparatus of the character described manner; such 8S. by the upright supports 20 and whichuses a heated liquid, such as water, to -iniyokes 2| embracing portions of the pipe coil 'and a5 tially prevent freezing of the flow bean and then connected to the Vsupports 20. ,v

gradually raise the temperature of the gas-in the lfgithe example shown, the thermo-Siphon c irdischarge line ofthe flow bean, so that it is suit- SYSHIYIv COmpriSeS a tank 22 in which able for introduction into the pipe lines for transthe iiowbean B and discharge line C are loportation. to gas and oil separators or to other cated. submerged in Water 23, 'the Surface- 24 o f-- 4o equipment for transportation, storage or utilizzawhich may be near the top of the tank; a water 4o t tion of the gas. l l ,heater 25 of any suitable type; a'water'vapor other objects and advantagesyfthe inveiition line 25 between the-upper Dertien 0f the heater will appear in the following detailed'descriptloa, 25 and tank 22: a return iiow water line 2 1 betaken in connection with theaccompanying drawtween the lower portion of the tank 22 and heater ings, forming a part of this speciication, andin 25; a combined separator and `condenser 28 45 which drawings: shown more in detail in Figures 2 and 3 v with Figure 1 isa view partly in vertical section en which the water-vapor line 26 has connection;

partly in elevation of apparatus constructed acand,ra flow controller 29 in the zone of the iow cording t'o the present invention. bean B with which the water-vapor line 26 also Figure 2 is a detail view partly in'vertical sechas connection to direct hot water issuing into 50y tion and partlyin elevation of a combined sepas the 'controller to those partsof the now beenrator and. condenser. suitable for use as a part whichwill more readily conduct the heatto the of the apparatus@ gas passingv therethru and prevent freezing.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectlonal'view on the The tank 22 may have an open top 30 and the quantity of water in the system D is maintained in any suitable manner-.so Athat the water surface 241s above `the coil |1 near the top of tank 35.

proximately 250 feet from the well to eliminate re hazards.

The water-vapor line 26 extends from the upper portion of the heater 25 to the upper portion of tank 2|. At its portion adjacent the heater, it may have connection therewith thru a nipple 31 and TV-ttng 38, the lateral opening of which has connection with nipple 31, the upper opening with a vertical pipe 36 forming a part of -line 26, and its lower opening with an air injector `40 controlled by valve 4|. Because the line 26 is relatively long, it maybe covered in part by insulation 42. The air injector 40 may be used to increase the speed of flow of the water fromthe heater 25 to tank 22. Inside the tank` event considerable pressure is built up in heat- 'I'he combined separator and condenser shown more in detail in Figures 2 and 3, preferably includes a minor cylinder 50, in the chamber of which separation of water and vapor initially takes place, the water finds egress therefrom as thru pipe 43, and the vapor thru fitting 52 having connection with the upper part of cylinder 50.

There isalso a major upright cylinder 53, the

`cavity of which has communication with fitting 52 and is divided into three chambers 54, 55 and 56f'as by baiiles 51 andl 53. The baille. 51 is preferably/ concavo-convex with its convex face uppermost and its marginal portion provided with openings 66 thru which products of. condensation in chamber 55 may flow downwardly and return to the circulating water in the system. The baiiie 53 is also preferably concavoeconvex, with its convex face`lowermost and is provided with a central opening 65 i'romwhich depends a tube 6|, the lower-l end of "which is adjacent' to but' spaced from the baille 51. `"Ihls opening 65.per mits products ,of condensation in chamber 56 to flow to chamber 55. Adjacent the upper closed end 62 of cylinder 63, a plurality of depending discharge tubes 63 are connected to the cylinder,

`-open to c amber 56 as by elbows 64 having screw threaded connection with nipples 65. These tubes h ve their lowerfopenends 66 below the below the water surface-24, the water-vapor line 26 willfwork at a pressure not to exceed y'. of a pound per square inch. This pressure may be regulated by varying the extent to which the discharge ends 66 are submerged below the water surface '24. By example, Swingin! the 'i lline between the tubes 63 laterally on the nipples 65' will bring the discharge ends 66 nearer the water surface and decrease the working pressure in the line 26. It is to be noted that the heat of the vapors issuing from the tubes 63- will be absorbed by or carried with the liquid in the tank 22, thus utilizing some of the heat of the vapors to heat coil |1.

'I'he contro11er29 is preferably an open ended cylinder 61 surrounding and spaced from the flow bean B mainly at the zone 'of the choke thereof, and has a nipple 63 connected to horizontal pipe 44.

The apparatus is automatic in that the water in the tank 22 cooled by operation of the flow bean and gas in the lower part of coil |1 becomes heavier and ksinks to the bottom ofthe tank, and enters the. lower part of heater 25 thru line 21, displacing the lheated waterin boiler 33. This hot water flows thru water-#vapor line 26 and is finally delivered to the zone surrounding the iiow bean. Most of the water nds egress at the upper portion of controller 29 altho some passes downwardly as shown by arrow' in Figure l. It is to be noted the gas passing from the flow bean enters thatportion of the discharge line C nearest the bottom of tankv 22 where the water 23 is of lowest temperature, and the temperature ofy the gas is gradually increased as itrises'in coil 1.

During a test extending over a. period of approximately thirty-seven days, with an intake pressure of approximately 3,000 pounds thru a ta-inch choke and a discharge pressure ,of approximately 480 pounds at the upper end of coil |1,.it was found that with a temperature slightly about 32 F., at the discharge of the flow bean, the temperatureof the gas after passing thru coil |1 was approximately 100 F., which dropped to approximately 80 F., when reaching an oil and gas separator some 400 feet'from the heating system, eliminating all freezingl of the flow bean, discharge line to the separator, separator valves and controls associated with the oil and gas separator. M'I'he method may be carried on continuously without frequent attention of a caretaker, since it operates in a thermo-siphonic manner, no pumps or steam generating equipment being nec-4 essary. v

I claim:

1. In heating apparatus for gas,l the combina'-A tion of a tank, a ilow bean towhich gas under high pressure is delivered, located at an intermediate portion of the tank, a circuitous discharge line in the tank leading from the flow bean to the lower portionof the tank and thence Ito the upper portion of the tank, a water heater,

2. 'In heating apparatus for gas, the combination of a. tank, a flow bean to which gas under high pressure is delivered, located at an intermediate portion of the tank, a circuitous disy charge line in the-tank leading from the flow bean to the lower portion ofthe tank and thence to the upper portion of the tank, a water heater, a combined separator and condenser at the upper portion of the tank, a water-vapor line between the heater and tank,vconnectedrto said combined separator and/condenser and having an opening at a mneadjacent said flow bean, and a water lower portion of the tank and discharge line in the tank leading from the ow bean to the lower portion of the tank and thence to the upper portion of the tank, a water heater, a combined separator and condenser at the upper portion o! the tank barring its discharge submerged in the tank, a water-vapor line between the heater and tank, connected to said combined separator and condenser and having an opening at a zone adjacent said'ow bean, and a water line between the vlower portion of the tank and heater.

HOWARD w. DAVENPORT. 

